The Forbes Health editorial team is independent and objective. To help support our reporting work, and to continue our ability to provide this content for free to our readers, we receive compensation from the companies that advertise on the Forbes Health site. This compensation comes from two main sources. First, we provide paid placements to advertisers to present their offers. The compensation we receive for those placements affects how and where advertisers’ offers appear on the site. This site does not include all companies or products available within the market. Second, we also include links to advertisers’ offers in some of our articles; these “affiliate links” may generate income for our site when you click on them. The compensation we receive from advertisers does not influence the recommendations or advice our editorial team provides in our articles or otherwise impact any of the editorial content on Forbes Health. While we work hard to provide accurate and up-to-date information that we think you will find relevant, Forbes Health does not and cannot guarantee that any information provided is complete and makes no representations or warranties in connection thereto, nor to the accuracy or applicability thereof. Dr. Rafael Sepulveda Acosta is board-certified physician with experience in internal medicine, pediatric & adult sleep medicine, and obesity medicine. Ask here for a chance to be featured in a story. Keep reading Forbes Advisor for the chance to see the answer to your question in one of our upcoming stories. Our editors also may be in touch with follow-up questions. Commissions we earn from partner links on this page do not affect our opinions or evaluations. Our editorial content is based on thorough research and guidance from the Forbes Health Advisory Board. Obesity currently affects four out of 10 Americans, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)[1]Adult Obesity Facts. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed 12/20/2022. . While weight and overall health aren’t always connected, obesity is often considered a cause of multiple comorbid and chronic medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, some forms of cancer and heart disease. Digging into the statistics about obesity in the U.S. can help paint a picture of why rates continue to climb, as well as what can be done to slow (or even reverse) these trends. Obesity is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, which is calculated by dividing one’s weight in kilograms by their height in meters squared, or by dividing one’s weight in pounds by their height in inches squared and then multiplying by 703[2]Measuring Obesity. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Accessed 12/20/2022. . Four million people die each year as a result of obesity, according to the World Health Organization (WHO)[3]Obesity. World Health Organization. Accessed 12/20/2022. . The worldwide obesity rate has nearly doubled since 1980[4]Obesity Statistics. The European Association for the Study of Obesity. Accessed 12/20/2022. . The World Obesity Federation predicts that by 2030, one in five women and one in seven men will have obesity[5]One Billion People Globally Estimated to Be Living With Obesity by 2030. World Obesity. Accessed 12/20/2022. . Currently, more people have obesity than underweight in every region of the world, with the exception of sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, revealing how it’s a common health problem in both developed and developing countries[6]Obesity. World Health Organization. Accessed 12/20/2022. . The obesity rate in the U.S. continued to climb during the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing by 3% between March 2020 and March 2021[7]Adult Obesity Prevalence Increased During the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic. U.S. Department of Agriculture. Economic Research Service. Accessed 12/20/2022. . Obesity increases the risk of severe illness from COVID-19, tripling one’s risk of hospitalization, according to the CDC[8]Obesity, Race/Ethnicity, and COVID-19. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed 12/20/2022. . Obesity is linked to 30% to 53% of new diabetes cases in the U.S. every year, per research in the Journal of the American Heart Association[9]Obesity contributes to up to half of new diabetes cases annually in the U.S. American Heart Association. Accessed 12/20/2022. . Medical costs for people with obesity in the U.S. tend to be 30% to 40% higher than those for people without obesity[10]Public Health Considerations Regarding Obesity. StatPearls. Accessed 12/20/2022. . Research suggests obesity increases the average number of days someone misses work annually, either due to illness or injury, by an estimated three days a year[11]Cawley J, Biener A, Meyerhoefer C, et al. Job Absenteeism Costs of Obesity in the United States. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 2021;63(7)565-573. . Based on data collected between 2017 and 2020, 41.9% of adults in the U.S. have obesity[12]State of Obesity 2022: Better Policies for a Healthier America. Trust for America’s Health. Accessed 12/20/2022. . The same data set suggests 19.7% of adolescents and children in the U.S.—14.7 million individuals— have obesity[13]Childhood Obesity Facts. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed 12/20/2022. . Worldwide, more than 1 billion people have obesity—650 million adults, 340 million adolescents and 39 million children, according to WHO[14]World Obesity Day 2022—Accelerating action to stop obesity. World Health Organization. Accessed 12/20/2022. . The various causes of obesity are complex, involving genetics, societal and environmental factors, explains W. Timothy Garvey, M.D., a senior scientist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Nutrition Obesity Research Center. “Like many chronic diseases, obesity is [caused by] an intersection between genes and environment,” he says, adding that the environment specifically is likely to contribute to obesity more today than it did a century ago. Caren Mangarelli, M.D., an assistant professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, agrees. “While the genetic predisposition for obesity has likely always existed among populations, over the course of the last several generations, multiple changes in our environment have occurred that promote weight gain among people,” she explains. More time spent sitting in cars and at computers, as well as the development of highly processed foods, are all examples of environmental changes that contribute to rising obesity rates. Both experts say the reason why the prevalence of obesity is so concerning is because the condition is connected to a plethora of other medical conditions. “Obesity predisposes people to a kind of insulin resistance that is the base of a whole nexus of diseases and impels disease progression forward,” says Dr. Garvey. Such health concerns include type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, congestive heart failure, kidney disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. She also points out that communities of color don’t always have equal access to healthy food due to the lack of farmers’ markets or large grocery chains in the neighborhoods where they live. “[Food access] is just one example of how systemic racism could affect health,” she adds. Changes must be made at a societal level to reverse current obesity trends, says Dr. Garvey. First, he suggests that there must be more education about the effects of obesity and why it’s harmful to health. Second, he highlights the need to improve access to healthy foods, as well as gyms and exercise classes. Powered by technology, coaches and psychology, Noom teaches you tips and tricks to develop a positive relationship with food so you can enjoy the foods you love without guilt or shame. Nineteen states have an adult obesity rate that exceeds 35%. At 40.3%, West Virginia has the highest obesity rate in the country. Washington, D.C. has the lowest obesity rate of 24.7%. Obesity rates aren’t worsening in every state. In fact, the obesity rate in California decreased by 2.7% between 2020 and 2021, showing the most significant improvement of any state. Meanwhile, other states are witnessing significant increases to their obesity rates. South Dakota’s obesity rate increased by 5.2% from 2020 to 2021[15]2020 and 2021 Adult Obesity Rates by State. Trust for America’s Health. Accessed 12/20/2022. . According to the 2022 State of Obesity report, Black adults have the highest rate of obesity in the U.S.—49.9%—compared to 45.6% of Hispanic adults, 41.4% of white adults and 16.1% of Asian adults[16]The State of Obesity 2022. Trust for America’s Health. Accessed 12/20/2022. . U.S. adults who live in rural areas are more likely to have obesity than U.S. adults living in urban areas, according to the CDC[17]CDC: More obesity in U.S. rural counties than in urban counties. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed 12/20/2022. . Dr. Garvey and Dr. Mangarelli say the reasons why minority racial groups and people living in rural areas are most likely to experience obesity largely stem from societal and environmental factors. “Often, rural communities lack sidewalks or the same density of parks in their built environments, leading to less walking or physical activity,” explains Dr. Mangarelli, adding that people in rural communities need their cars to access most of their needs and may have to travel farther to the nearest grocery store. One in six youth in the U.S. have obesity, according to data from the latest National Survey of Children’s Health[18]Explore childhood obesity related data by demographic. State of Childhood Obesity. Accessed 12/20/2022. . More specifically, 12.7% of 2- to 5-year-olds, 20.7% of 6- to 11-year-olds and 22.2% of 12- to 19-year-olds in the U.S. have obesity, reports the CDC[19]Childhood Obesity Facts. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed 12/20/2022. . In the past three decades, childhood obesity in the U.S. more than tripled in adolescents and more than doubled in children[20]Sanyaolu A, Okorie C, Qi X, et al. Childhood and Adolescent Obesity in the United States: A Public Health Concern. Global Pediatric Health. 2019;6:2333794X19891305. . Worldwide, more than 340 million children and adolescents between the ages of 5 and 19 have obesity, and 39 million children under the age of 5 have obesity[21]Obesity and overweight. World Health Organization. Accessed 12/20/2022. . Dr. Mangarelli explains that the reasons for the rise in childhood obesity are largely the same as those affecting adults. “Children have that added barrier that they have less control over their home environment than the adults in charge of their care,” she says. Unfortunately, children with obesity have increasingly limited access to effective treatments than adults, adds Dr. Mangarelli, because studies of medications and other treatment options often exclude children. “In addition, families and medical providers often show a reduced tolerance for the possible risks or side effects of effective treatments in children,” she says. For example, if a medication causes nausea as a possible side effect, doctors and parents are less likely to allow a child to take it even if they would recommend the medication to an adult (or take it themselves). Additionally, Dr. Garvey says the key to reversing the direction of childhood obesity rates is to ensure children have access to healthy foods, as well as places and opportunities to be active. Whether you're a seasoned marathoner or just starting out, Joggo's expert trainers and state-of-the-art gear will help you experience the joy of running like never before. A 2022 study in Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine found people with obesity with higher waist-to-height ratios had a 71% higher risk of cancer than those with lower waist-to-height ratios. The research also suggested that they were twice as likely to die from a chronic lower respiratory tract disease and two to three times more likely to experience death related to cardiovascular disease[22]Haui P, Liu J, Ye X, et al. Association of Central Obesity With All Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality in US Adults: A Prospective Cohort Study. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine. 2022;9:816144. . The effects of obesity increase health care costs related to inpatient treatment, outpatient treatment and prescription drugs. Medical costs related to obesity in the U.S. reach approximately $260.6 billion a year[23]Cawley J, Biener A, Meyerhoefer C. Direct medical costs of obesity in the United States and the most populous states. Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy. 2021;27(3):354-366. . Adults with obesity spend an average of $1,861 more a year on medical costs than someone who doesn’t have obesity. People with severe obesity (a BMI of 40 or higher) spend an average of $3,097 more a year[24]Ward Z, Bleich S, Long M, et al. Association of body mass index with health care expenditures in the United States by age and sex. Plos One. 2021. . Just like there are ways that communities can change to better support people with obesity, Dr. Garvey says changes need to be made in the U.S. health care system as well. “There’s a lot of stigmatization that people with obesity experience. Many blame themselves and don’t want to seek medical care,” he explains, which is the exact opposite of what should happen. The change needs to start with health care providers not blaming people for obesity or making them feel shame, he says. In addition to lifestyle changes, such as eating nutrient-rich foods, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep and managing stress, Dr. Garvey says that there are some prescription medications that can help with adult obesity, such as bupropion-naltrexone and liraglutide. Obesity rates in the U.S. and across the world are worrisome because obesity is directly linked to life-threatening health problems. However, turning the stats around is a complex process and requires change at both societal and environmental levels. With that said, there are also actions someone with obesity can take as an individual, such as talking with their health care provider about the possibility of a prescription medication and working with a health coach to learn how to make healthier diet and lifestyle choices. Noom’s 5–minute quiz unlocks a weight loss program customized for you – now with GLP-1 options – so you can manage your health and form habits that last. Information provided on Forbes Health is for educational purposes only. Your health and wellness is unique to you, and the products and services we review may not be right for your circumstances. We do not offer individual medical advice, diagnosis or treatment plans. For personal advice, please consult with a medical professional. Forbes Health adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. To the best of our knowledge, all content is accurate as of the date posted, though offers contained herein may no longer be available. The opinions expressed are the author’s alone and have not been provided, approved or otherwise endorsed by our advertisers. Emily Laurence is a journalist, freelance writer and certified health coach living in Raleigh, North Carolina. She specializes in writing about mental health, healthy aging and overall wellness. For six years, she was an editor and senior writer at Well+Good, covering everything from food trends to public health issues like the opioid epidemic. She graduated from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University with a bachelor’s degree in magazine journalism. Find her on Instagram at @EmLaurence.